Fuzzy throttle and brake control for platoons of smart cars

Additive fuzzy systems can control the velocity and the gap between cars in single-lane platoons. The overall system consists of throttle and brake controllers. We first designed and tested a throttle-only fuzzy system on a validated car model and then with a real car on highway I-15 in California. We used this controller to drive the ''smart'' car on the highway in a two-car platoon. Then we designed a throttle and brake controller. The combined system controls the platoon on downhill parts of the freeway and as it decelerates to slower speeds. We modeled the brake controller using the real test data from the brake system. A logic switch for throttle and brake decides which system to use. The gap controller uses data only from its own sensors and there is no communication among cars. The simulation results show that follower cars with a combined brake/throttle controller can maintain a constant gap when the platoon goes downhill and slows. An adaptive throttle controller uses neural systems to learn the fuzzy rules for different vehicle types.